Exercise for Cancer Survivors

How Physical Activity Can Help You Manage Side Effects

by Ting-Ting Kuo, PT, DPT, MS, CLT

Stiffness. Pain. Fatigue.
Do these
common side effects sound familiar?
The majority of people coping with
cancer today will at some point experience
side effects that are a direct result
of cancer and cancer treatment. Overnight,
simple tasks such as reaching
overhead, putting on a shirt, washing
your hair, or carrying a bag of groceries
suddenly can become a challenge. So
what is the secret to minimizing and
alleviating many of these side effects?
Yes, you guessed it … exercise.

Often, surgery to remove a cancer
can lead to symptoms of stiffness, tightness,
swelling, and pain. Likewise,
nausea, treatment-related
fatigue, and
numbness and
tingling of the
hands and feet
may accompany
a chemotherapy
regimen. If a
person requires
radiation therapy,
skin and
tissue damage
may result in radiation burns, which
can lead to further loss in flexibility
and overall mobility.

Exercise has been shown to reduce,
and in some instances eliminate, these
commonly experienced side effects
while also increasing strength, coordination,
posture, and immune function and
building and maintaining bone, muscle,
and joint health. Improvements in mood
and post-surgical healing, along with a
decreased risk in falls, are additional
benefits of exercise that allow individuals
to optimally function throughout the
day and to improve their quality of life
during and after cancer treatment.

The key is to find exercises that are appealing and
enjoyable and that can be easily incorporated into a
daily or weekly schedule.

Dr. Ting-Ting Kuo

So how do you start? First, let’s
define the term exercise. Exercise in
relation to cancer rehabilitation can
refer to any purposeful physical activity
ranging from stretching, walking,
and gardening to weight training, yoga,
and bicycling. The key to initiating
and increasing your activity level to
the recommended 30 to 60 minutes of
physical activity, five to seven times a
week, is to find exercises that are appealing
and enjoyable and that can
be easily incorporated into a daily or
weekly schedule.

You must be realistic about your current
level of physical fitness to avoid
potential injury and excessive fatigue.
Exercises should be implemented on
a gradual, progressive basis. Keep in
mind that more is not always better.
Setting short-term and long-term goals
can be beneficial. These goals should
be measurable (for example, by distance,
duration, or frequency) and have
a time frame (for example, two weeks
or one month). Goals provide not only
a strong sense of motivation but also
an amazing feeling of accomplishment
when a goal is achieved and a new one
is created.

For those who may feel understandably
overwhelmed with the idea of
participating in an exercise program
while undergoing cancer treatment, there
are simple actions you can incorporate
throughout the day to make exercise
less daunting while still achieving positive
benefits:

Walk continuously for 10 to 15
minutes every day.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Park the car farther away and enjoy
the walk.

Get on the bus several stops away
from where you normally board, or
get off the bus several stops away
from your destination.

Find an exercise buddy.

Schedule your exercise time as a
standing appointment.

The benefits of exercise have long
been established in the management of
cancer. A gradual progression of exercise
incorporating flexibility, strength
training, and aerobic activity can help
alleviate common side effects that
often accompany cancer treatments.
Whether you are just beginning or are
in the middle of an exercise program,
it is important to consult with your
healthcare team about any guidelines
or precautions they may want you
to follow.

Should you have concerns about
starting an exercise program safely, be
proactive and request an evaluation by
a physical therapist specializing in oncology
rehabilitation. He or she can
assist in implementing a safe and effective
exercise program individually
tailored to your specific needs.

Now is the time to start moving,
get motivated, be consistent, and just
have fun!

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Dr. Ting-Ting Kuo is a physical
therapist specializing in the treatment of
cancer survivors. A certifi ed lymphedema
therapist with a Doctorate in Physical Therapy,
she manages the Outpatient Physical
Therapy Cancer Rehabilitation, Lymphedema,
and Women’s Health Program at NYU
Langone/Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation
Medicine (www.ruskinstitute.org) in New
York, NY.

This article was published in Coping® with Cancer magazine,
March/April
2009.